1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to automobile alarms and more particularly pertains to vehicle theft deterrent systems which may be utilized for selectively disabling a vehicle and sounding a siren.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of automobile alarms is known in the prior art. More specifically, automobile alarms heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of preventing a theft of an automobile are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
For example, an auto theft alarm is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,369 which includes a sound maker coupled to a complex switch having a plurality of switches arranged in series. An activation switch is coupled to the shock absorber of the vehicle so that the alarm is activated only by a motion up and down of the vehicle such as occurs during driving.
An auto alarm system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,321 which is responsive to a theft of the vehicle either by pulling the lock mechanism or by starting of the vehicle through the forced entry of the bowl plate. The alarm system further includes a signal system remote from the detection system for emitting a signal frequency for detection remote from the vehicle. The detector may include distance and direction detection from the detector to the vehicle.
Another patent of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 4,322,714 which discloses a vehicle anti-theft alarm. The alarm detects mechanical disturbances of the vehicle through primary disturbance sensors having steel balls or the like in small compartment inside which they are free to roll. Impacts of one or more balls against compartment walls generate pulses of high frequency sound and vibration, which are in turn sensed by an adjacent high frequency microphone or vibration pickup. The output of this transducer is then amplified and suitably processed to energize a horn or other alarm device.
Other patents of interest include U.S. Pat. No. 3,688,256 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,963,856.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a vehicle theft deterrent system having two operational modes for selectively disabling a vehicle and sounding a siren in which a first operational mode disables an engine component of the vehicle, sounds a siren, and locks a hood of the vehicle upon a use or by-pass of the ignition switch, and a second operational mode allows the vehicle to operate for a predetermined length of time before providing the same. In this respect, the vehicle theft deterrent system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of selectively disabling a vehicle and sounding a siren upon a theft of such vehicle.